Hot Time at the May Fair

Whew! It was already in the 70s when I finally got up this morning around 9AM. I didn't mean to oversleep. I guess I'm still catching up from my vacation. It was cloudy when I left for Collingswood, but by the time I pulled into the bike rack in the parking lot behind Haddon Avenue, the sky was clearing.

The May Fair is Collingswood's annual Memorial Day Weekend street festival. There's a huge classic car show, a craft show, midway rides for the kids, and the Farm Market, which is absorbed into the fair for the week. I checked out the booths first. Saw two booths with 18 inch doll clothes. Ended up buying a hand-made bathing suit and cover-up from the second one.

My next stop was the car show. There were more cars than ever this year! It just seemed to go on and on. A whole fleet of GTOs rumbled on the very first block; the red one reminded me a little of the MonkeeMobile without the extra seats. My favorites were the nifty red Packard with the black top and the sporty little orange-red Corvette.

I strolled through the crowds, next stopping at Lees Avenue just off Haddon, where the Farm Market did its business. It was past 11 by the time I made it there. Everyone was sold out of snap peas, but I did get some spring peas to steam later this week. I also bought carrots, strawberries, asparagus, a yellow sweet onion, and a lovely little head of red leaf lettuce from the organic booth.

Next, I made my way to the kids' section to watch the little guys enjoy themselves. The Midway is where all of the games and rides are. There was a train in the parking lot of an office building, a tilt-a-whirl, and the cutest little Ferris Wheel. I saw a bunch of bounce houses on the very end of Haddon. One had a SpongeBob SquarePants theme. One was shaped like a big bear. The third was supposed to look like an inflatable jungle.

Passed by three bands playing on my way back. One was a girl group doing 40s numbers like "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend." One was a typical pop-rock band playing 80s and 90s hits like "Love Shack." The big one on the corner of Haddon and Collings Avenues was playing what sounded like classic rock. All three were pretty good; the rock band's "Love Shack" cover was my favorite, although "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" was cute. 

By this point, the sun was out and the clouds had disappeared. There was a nice breeze, but it wasn't enough to alleviate the nasty humidity and sweltering heat. I hiked back to my bike and rode home. I didn't even see any yard sales today; they're probably all at the Shore.

I spent the rest of the afternoon watching Three Stooges shorts and avoiding the heat. I had leftovers and a lettuce salad for lunch, then made Strawberry Flummery with the last of the strawberries in the fridge and a few that got mushed on the way back from Collingswood. "Flummery" is a jelly-style dessert that apparently was popular in colonial America. It's the simplest dessert in the book - all you need is fruit, water, sugar, and cornstarch. I've made it with everything from strawberries to peaches, and it always comes out delicious.

Since I had a new outfit for Jessa, I changed all of the dolls into lighter outfits. Jess wears her bathing suit and cover-up and the jean shorts I bought her last year. They're all tight on her - I have the feeling they were made for the newer 18-inch dolls that are thinner - but I did get them on. Sam wears her sailor-themed Middy Dress and brass whistle. I put Felicity in the only lightweight dress I have for her, her lavender-striped Traveling Gown (also known as her second "Meet" outfit). Molly was dying to wear her AG Circle of Friends Tap Dance costume with the red and blue sequin trim and ruffled sleeves, not to mention those shiny, bright-red tap shoes!

It had gotten a little cloudy by the time I left for work, but nothing horrible. Work was busy for most of the evening, not surprising on a holiday weekend. It did clear out a little when people started going to their barbecues around 6:30 and heavy clouds rolled in. It picked up later, partially because the kid who was supposed to show up was so late, he was due at 7 and still hadn't arrived when I left at 9:30.

My schedule next week isn't great. On one hand, I only have 20 hours, and I could really use a decent paycheck. On the other hand, I also have three days off, including tomorrow, and I could also use some time to resume my regular schedule and get things back together at my apartment after my vacation and my visitor.